THE walls of King Tutankhamun's Tomb almost certainly hide something ... but probably not the resting place of Nefertiti, according to a top Egyptian official.
Antiquities minister Mamdouh Eldamaty made his assessment in an exclusive interview with Egypt's AHRAM ONLINE newspaper in discussing last week's examinations carried out by himself and British archeologist Nicholas Reeves in Luxor on Tutankhamun's tomb have revealed that the tomb's northern and western walls both hide chambers.
In July Reeves published a study in which he claimed NEFERTITI may be buried in those hidden chambers. After initial skepticism, Eldamaty now says he supports Reeves' theory.
"It is a respectable scientific theory that could prove right or wrong, and when examining the west and north walls of Tutankhamun's burial chamber, I realised that all the evidence that Reeves mentioned regarding the existence of hidden chambers is true," he was quoted as saying.
"I also noticed an area on a wall where the type of stone used was different than that in other walls. It is covered in painted plaster with the purpose of hiding something," Eldamaty said.
"I am 75 per cent certain we will find chambers behind both walls, but not one containing Nefertiti," he added, while conceding it is still possible that her mummy could be in one of the chambers.
"If the theory proves true and we locate Nefertiti’s resting place, we would be facing a discovery that would overshadow the uncovering of the golden king himself," he added.
"This would be the most important discovery of the 21st Century," he said.
Whatever lies beyond those secret doors, Eldamaty said it will be spectacular.
The next step involves radar probes to determine what ... if anything ... is behind the apparent secret doors. Reeves plans to make an announcement on November 4th, which is the anniversary of the discovery in 1922 of the Tomb of Tutankhamun by Howard Carter.
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